CHHA study guide
CHHA · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA) credential documents that an aide has met a state's training and competency requirements to deliver personal care and supportive services in a client's home under the supervision of a nurse or therapist. It is typically pursued by people entering home care, by nursing assistants moving from facility to home settings, and by caregivers whose employers or state regulations require formal certification. The CHHA study guide has 9 sections and about 2,501 words.
01Personal Care and Activities of Daily Living
Personal care means helping a client with activities of daily living (ADLs) - bathing, dressing, grooming, oral care, toileting, eating, transferring, and walking - while supporting instrumental activities (IADLs) such as shopping, cooking, cleaning, and transportation. The exam expects you to know the safe sequence of each task and to protect privacy, dignity, and skin integrity throughout.
280 words, about 1 min02Safety, Accident Prevention, and Emergency Procedures
Scan the environment before every task: clutter, loose rugs, poor lighting, wet floors, and improper footwear are common fall hazards. If a client falls, do not move them; check for injury, stay with them, call for help, and report the fall - even if the client says they are fine.
283 words, about 1 min03Infection Control and Standard Precautions
Standard precautions apply to every client, every time, because any client may carry an infection. Know the six links in the chain of infection (agent, reservoir, exit, transmission, entry, susceptible host) and that breaking any link prevents spread.
276 words, about 1 min04Observation, Reporting, and Documentation
Observation is noticing; reporting is telling the right person promptly; documentation is the written record. Gather objective data (what you see, hear, smell, or measure - a temperature of 101 F, a bruise on the left hip, 200 mL of urine) and subjective data (what the client says - 'I feel dizzy').
264 words, about 1 min05Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Communication is a care skill. Use therapeutic techniques: active listening, open-ended questions, restating, clarifying, reflecting feelings, appropriate silence, and honest, simple language.
271 words, about 1 min06Nutrition, Hydration, and Meal Preparation
Know the six nutrient groups - protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water - and check the diet order before every meal. Common orders include regular, low-sodium, diabetic, renal, mechanical soft, pureed, thickened liquids, and NPO (nothing by mouth).
297 words, about 1 min07Client Rights, Confidentiality, and Ethical Practice
Clients have rights to dignity, privacy, confidentiality, choice, self-determination, and freedom from abuse and neglect. They may refuse care, and a competent refusal must be respected and reported - not overridden.
285 words, about 1 min08Care of Clients with Cognitive Impairment and Behavioral Needs
Cognitive impairment includes dementia (Alzheimer's disease, vascular, Lewy body), delirium, traumatic brain injury, and mental illness. Dementia is usually gradual and progressive, affecting memory, judgment, language, and self-care.
287 words, about 1 min09Body Systems, Aging, and Meeting Physical, Emotional, and Developmental Needs
Know the major systems and how aging changes them: skin (thinner, drier, slower healing), musculoskeletal (bone loss, stiffness, slower gait), cardiovascular and respiratory (reduced reserve), nervous (slower reactions, hearing and vision changes), gastrointestinal (constipation, reduced absorption), genitourinary (reduced kidney function, incontinence risk), and endocrine and immune (slower responses, higher infection risk). Normal aging includes presbyopia, high-frequency hearing loss, decreased thirst, and reduced muscle mass.
258 words, about 1 min